Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State

Bloodborne Pathogens Chapter 296-823, WAC

Effective Date: 09/01/04

 

WAC 296-823-130 Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Vaccinations

For printing

Your Responsibility:

To make the vaccination available to your employees so they are protected from the hepatitis B virus (HBV)

You must

Make hepatitis B vaccination available to employees WAC 296-823-13005 Obtain a copy of the health care professional's written opinion for hepatitis B vaccination and provide it to the employee WAC 296-823-13010

 

WAC 296-823-13005

Make hepatitis B vaccination available to employees

Exemption: You aren't required to provide the hepatitis B vaccination series to employees who meet any of the following: – The employee has previously received the complete hepatitis B vaccination series – An antibody test has revealed that the employee is immune to hepatitis B – There are medical reasons not to give the vaccine. You aren't required to provide the hepatitis B vaccination series to employees assigned to provide first aid only as a secondary duty, when you do all of the following: – Make hepatitis B vaccination available to all unvaccinated first-aid providers who render assistance in any situation involving the presence of blood or OPIM. Vaccination must be made available as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after the incident. – Provide a reporting procedure that ensures all first-aid incidents that involve the presence of blood or OPIM are reported before the end of the work shift – Document first-aid incidents that involve blood or OPIM, include at least: The names of all first-aid providers who rendered assistance The time and date of the first-aid incident A description of the first-aid incident

You must

• Make sure that the hepatitis B vaccination series is available to all employees who have occupational exposure and that it is:
  • - Available at no cost to the employee
  • – Available to the employee at a reasonable time and location
  • – Administered by or under the supervision of a licensed physician or by another licensed health care professional
  • – Provided according to recommendations of the United States Public Health Service that are current at the time these evaluations and procedures take place
  • – Available to any employee who initially declines the vaccination but later decides to accept it while they are still covered by this chapter
  • – Made available after the employee has received training required by this chapter and within 10 working days of initial assignment.

Link: You can find more information about the United States Public Health Service recommendations for hepatitis B vaccination at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/blindex.htm.

You must

• Make sure participation in a prevaccination screening program for antibody status isn't a condition for receiving hepatitis B vaccination.
• Make sure that all laboratory tests are conducted by a laboratory licensed by the state or Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (Act) (CLIA).
• Make sure employees who decline the hepatitis B vaccination, offered by you, sign a form with this statement:
  

  "I understand that due to my occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials I may be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. I have been given the opportunity to be vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine, at no charge to myself. However, I decline hepatitis B vaccination at this time. I understand that by declining this vaccine, I continue to be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B, a serious disease. If in the future I continue to have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials and I want to be vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine, I can receive the vaccination series at no charge to me."

Helpful Tool: Hepatitis B Vaccine Declination Form: The declination form can help you document employees who have declined the hepatitis B vaccine. You can find a copy of this form in the Resources section of this chapter.

WAC 296-823-13010

Obtain a copy of the health care professional's written opinion for hepatitis B vaccination and provide it to the employee

You must

• Obtain and provide the employee a copy of the evaluating health care professional's written opinion for hepatitis B vaccination within 15 days of the employee's evaluation.

Note: If the health care professional provides the written opinion directly to the employee, you don't need to do so. If the employee's personal health care professional completes the evaluation, you aren't required to obtain the health care professional's written opinion.

You must

• Make sure the health care professional's written opinion is limited to whether a hepatitis B vaccination is indicated and if the employee has received this vaccination
• Make sure that all other findings or diagnoses remain confidential and aren't included in the written report.

Reference: Requirements for the health care professional's written opinion on post-exposure evaluation can be found in WAC 296-823-16030.

Helpful Tool: Health Care Professional's Written Opinion for Post-exposure Evaluation and Health Care Provider's Written Opinion for Hepatitis B Vaccination. These forms are available for your use in the Resources section of this chapter.